Born Issur Danielovitch (in nearby Amsterdam, NY), Douglas worked (willed?) his way from rag-picker's son to Hollywood powerhouse. For more than two decades, Douglas commanded headliner status.
Spartacus,
Paths of Glory,
Out of the Past are only the immediately notable high points in a career full of high points. But consider the austerity of that face. Yes, it's as iconic as Groucho Marx's, Cary Grant's, or Marilyn Monroe's, but has there ever been a face as chiseled and sharp-edged (a weapon in its own right)? In many ways it's the parody of a face--a simulacrum of a chin, cheeks, nose, and brow.
Could he make it today? It's a toss-up.
Kirk Douglas, like Humphrey Bogart, are excellent examples how yesteryear's stars did not need to be "pretty" to be make it.
ReplyDeleteEven actors who began only a few decades ago - think Dustin Hoffman - would be hard-pressed to get a leading role today in anything other than a male buddy movie.